The present invention relates generally to the removal of grout between joints and, in particular, to a motorized grout-removing device for removal of grout between tiles.
In the present invention, the term xe2x80x98groutxe2x80x99 is understood to include mortar or any other similar material used to separate, join or fill-in between joints, joins or interfaces between xe2x80x98tilesxe2x80x99. The term xe2x80x98tilesxe2x80x99 includes ceramic and/or refractory tiles, building blocks such as bricks, stone blocks, cladding, marble tiles or slabs.
Tiles are used widely in construction in a wide variety of locations, including as flooring and walls. For instance, tiles may be used in walls, counters and floors of kitchens, as walls and flooring in bathrooms, as walls and flooring in showers, and in many other locations. In the installation of tiles, grout is placed between the tiles, especially to seal the tiles in place and prevent water, dirt or the like from entering the space between the tiles and causing damage to the structure on which the tiles are located or causing an unacceptable appearance.
In the event that tiles need to be removed after installation e.g. for replacement with new tiles or for repair of damaged tiles, or for other reasons, it is necessary to remove the grout. Removal of grout in the joints between tiles is a tedious process. There are very few devices available commercially for the removal of grout from between tiles, regardless of whether the grout is between ceramic tiles or the like or between building blocks e.g. bricks and stone blocks or the like. Clean-cut grout removal is very difficult to obtain and use of unsuitable devices often results in cracked or broken tiles.
Grout may be removed either by manually cutting or by chiseling the grout. One particular device used in this manner has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,718. This patent describes a screwdriver-type device whereby the grout-removing portion of the device is a blade. The user operates the device by manually chiseling the grout.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,064,588 describes a grout-cleaning device having an elongated pear-shaped handle, which incorporates a single saw blade within a slot disposed along the narrow edge of the handle. U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,881 describes a similar grout-removal device with multiple saw blades fitted side-by-side within a slot of the narrow edge of the elongated handle. Various saw blades may be used to accommodate various sizes of grout joints.
All of these particular devices require the user to either manually saw or chisel the grout to remove it, both of which are tedious processes.
International Patent Application WO 97/48536 describes a device that removes grout using a laser. The laser is directed onto the grout to remove the grout. The disadvantage of this particular device is that it is quite complicated in design and, thus, costly and difficult to manufacture.
It would be beneficial, therefore, to provide a grout-removal device that is adaptable for use with various sizes of grout joints, affords the user control to avoid or reduce damage to adjacent tiles, and allows the grout to be removed quickly and easily, in a more cost effective manner.
Accordingly, in one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device for removing grout from between a joint, the device comprising:
at least one handle member with at least one guide and at least one motor portion, the motor portion having a motor and at least one cutting member;
the guide and the cutting member being aligned;
the guide being adapted to guide the cutting member along the joint.
In a preferred embodiment of the device of the present invention, the guide is a wheel or a guiding edge.
In another embodiment, the guide is an elongate guide such as an elongate guiding edge.
In a further embodiment, the handle member is substantially perpendicular to the guide.
In another embodiment, the device has one or more handle members and one or more motor portions. Preferably, there are two handle members and one motor portion, each handle member having an end connected to the motor portion.
In another embodiment, there is one handle member and two motor portions, the two motor portions being a first motor portion and a second motor portion, the handle member having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is connected to the first motor portion and the second end is connected to the second motor portion.
In another embodiment, the handle member has an end, wherein the end is connected to the motor portion, the motor portion being angled with respect to the surface such that the guide and the cutting member remain in contact with the joint. Preferably, the motor portion is angled towards the handle member, at an angle of from about 45xc2x0 to less than about 90xc2x0 with respect to the surface.
Preferably, the motor portion is a battery operated motor portion or has an electrical power cord. More preferably, the motor portion is a power drill or power tool.
Preferably, the cutting member is selected from the group consisting of a blade, a saw and a side cutting bit. More preferably, the cutting member is selected from the group consisting of a router bit, an end mill, a rasp bit, a circular saw and a reciprocating saw. Most preferably, the cutting member is a router bit.
Preferably, the handle member has an opening for receiving a hand of a user.
Preferably, the handle member is made from a rigid material selected from the group consisting of wood, metal, plastic and medium density fibreboard. More preferably, the handle member is made from plastic.
In another embodiment, the motor portion is connected to the handle member by a flange or a spigot. Preferably, the flange or the spigot has at least one of a vertical adjustment means and an angle adjustment means for adjusting the motor portion. More preferably, the at least one of the vertical adjustment means and the angle adjustment means is a slot.
In another embodiment, the motor portion is moulded into the handle portion.